79 - The Parable of the Rich Man & Lazarus

The parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16 stands out as one of the rare passages in Scripture that pulls back the curtain on the reality of the afterlife. Among a number of things, it tells us something important: death doesn’t end the story. There is an afterlife, it’s personal, and it reflects the way life was lived on this side of the grave. But Jesus doesn't recite this story merely to satisfy our curiosity about the afterlife. Rather, the message is clear: we’ve already been given what we need to respond—God’s word and God’s call to love our neighbor. Moreover, it is far better to beg for bread on earth than to beg for water in hell.